The first verifiable evidence of the existence of settlers in the area dates back about 5,000 years b. C, in the Neolithic, as human remains and other objects were found to prove it. At the time of Roman rule there was a settlement in the area of Punta de Torremolinos, as it is evidenced by the urns and the remains of three salting factories located near the beaches, as well as a very small cemetery found in excavations in the centre of the city. With the arrival of the Arabs it was when they began to build a mill along the river bed, reaching nineteen of them. During the reign of the Nazari dynasty in Malaga, the Tower Defense was build, it was made of adobe and height 12mts (located in what today is the end of San Miguel Street). In the Royal Ordinances of 1497 appears, and it was already called the Mills Tower, but later it was nicknamed Pimentel, in honor of the Earl of Benavente for his military aid for the conquest of Granada and Malaga.

After the conquest of Granada until the beginning of XVIII century, Torremolinos area greatly increased its population, due to continuous raids by pirates on the beaches and it was in 1704 when a fleet of English and Dutch ships commanded by Admiral Rooke, the city was completely destroyed by burning and looting houses and mills. These were some of the main reasons that prompted the construction of a defense that protected the coast from pirates, and it was in 1770 when the engineer Antonio Jiménez Mesa built a castle in what is now the Castillo de Santa Clara and battery guns in the hills of Montemar, now known as "Battery."

Years later they returned to build the mills, as recorded in official writings of 1,849, "there were 14 flour mills and a population of nearly a thousand people." It was in 1923 when the waters were expropriated by the City of Manchester, starting the demise of the flour industry and its mills, becoming a small fishing village, until in 1959 with the opening of the first luxury hotel on the coast, "El Pez Espada", began to develop tourism becoming one of the most important holiday resorts of Spain and Europe. On September 27th 1988, Torremolinos won its segregation from Malaga, and it became an independent municipality.

We use our own cookies and third-party ones not necessary for navigation, but for analytical purposes, social plugins installation and affiliate. If you continue to browse, consider accepting its use. More information.